The present teachings relates to a device and a method for aligning and holding a plurality of singulated semiconductor components in receiving pockets of a plate-like terminal carrier (clamping carrier).
Semiconductor components, such as, for example, BGAs (Ball Grid Arrays), MLFs, QFNs, semiconductor components with pins, etc, are usually subjected after their manufacture to electrical and/or mechanical function tests. For this purpose robotic handlers, also called handlers, are used, which at high speeds make contact between the semiconductor components and a testing device, and, after execution of the function test remove them once again from the latter in order to sort them depending on the test result. Frequently, the function test is executed under particular temperature conditions, wherein the temperature range can range from −60° C. to +160° C.
The semiconductor components to be tested are usually present as two different types, namely as singulated components, or as a strip-shaped composite (“strips”). Singulated components have no connection among one another, so that each component in a handler is usually sucked individually, or in small groups, and transported to one or a plurality of contact sockets which are electrically connected with an electronic computing unit of the testing device. In this manipulation of singulated components it is, however, necessary to centre each individual component directly in front of the contact sockets in order to ensure that the often very small and densely side-by-side arranged connecting contacts of the components accurately match up with the corresponding contacts of the contact sockets. Furthermore, already for space reasons it is mostly only possible to arrange a limited number of suction lifters side-by-side so that the number of components that can be tested simultaneously is very limited. As a result the throughput of the handler is correspondingly limited.
Semiconductor components that are present in the form of a strip are usually tested in that the strip is inserted into a so-called nest which is docked to a testing head. Since the position of the individual components on the strip and the position of the strip within the nest are accurately defined, with the centering of the nest relative to the testing head it is ensured that all components are located in the correct contact location. The number of components that can be simultaneously tested if strips are present is therefore significantly greater than in the case of singulated components. This delivers advantages with regard to the handler throughput.
In order to transfer the advantages of the strip arrangement also to the testing of singulated semiconductor components, it is already of known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,703 B2 to accommodate singulated semiconductor components in receiving pockets, separated from one another, of a clamping carrier, to align them in the receiving pockets and to subsequently convey the complete clamping carrier to a testing head in order to make contact with the individual components. This known clamping carrier has small spring platelets in the lateral region of the receiving pockets that press the components in only one direction (y-direction) against opposing stop faces. In order to align the components also in the x-direction, there must be displaced a sliding block of complex construction, which forms the bottom of the receiving pockets and has for each receiving pocket a suction head with which the components are secured by suction within the receiving pocket. This known device is of complicated construction and requires a lot of space. For these reasons this known clamping carrier is not suitable for a larger number of components, and not for very small components.